818 articles · 256 videos found · page 2 of 36
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Omega has delivered on what the Speedmaster community has been demanding for a while now. The big difference between the previous Omega 1863 Caliber and the new Omega 321 Caliber is that the 321 has a column wheel actuator for the chronograph. This is in contrast to the 1863 Caliber's cam-actuated chronograph function.
Monochrome
How do a pair of manually wound, time-only, pocket watch-sized, potentially outdated movements introduced in the 1950s earn a place in our series on significant calibres, alongside the well-known El Primero and Valjoux 7750 chronograph calibre and the omnipresent automatic ETA 2824 and 2892? Several factors contribute to their importance. Despite seeming unusual today, the […]
Monochrome
Introduced in the 1970s during the rise of quartz movements, which were poised to dominate the industry, threatening to eclipse and eradicate mechanical mechanisms almost entirely, the ETA 2892 has become one of the most renowned and widely used self-winding calibres produced by the Swatch Group’s giant movement maker. Like the ETA 2824, the 2892 […]
Time+Tide
Understanding ETA’s best-selling calibres will give you an insight into most Swiss watches, so here are the most important movements.The post All the ETA movements you should know about appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
What better way for a watch brand to mark a significant anniversary than to present the result of a project that is equally challenging, ambitious, and just a little bit mad? Swatch introduced its revolutionary Sistem51 mechanical movement in 2013. It did so to mark 30 years since the brand’s inception. The challenge Mr. Nick […] Visit A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Swatch Sistem51 - Including A Tour Of ETA In Boncourt to read the full article.
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Time+Tide
One thing watch enthusiasts often do is dismiss “off the shelf” calibres. The allure and buzz of “in-house” movements has cast a dismissing shadow over mass-produced calibres. But, like many other things in life, sometimes it is more about how you use it than anything else. I will not deny it, standard ETA and Sellita … ContinuedThe post Workhorse makeover: “Off the shelf” calibres can be pretty too – ETA/Peseux 7001 Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
My collection has some reasonably serious luxury sports watches in it from the likes of Rolex, Omega et al. Watches that will withstand more rigours and abuse than I’m ever likely to throw at them. However, when I’m off outdoors – four-wheel driving, shooting, fishing or hunting – they stay safely locked away and I typically … ContinuedThe post My adventure watch – this is what I wear when shooting, fishing or hunting… appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
At issue is whether Sellita really will be able to compete with ETA in an open market for mechanical watch movements.
SJX Watches
News last weekend that Switzerland’s competition regulator, COMCO, also widely known by its German acronym Weko, was weighing a ban on ETA movement sales to third-party brands caused a major stir in the watch industry – and a terse, lengthy response from Swatch Group, ETA’s parent and Switzerland’s biggest watchmaking conglomerate. The move was ostensibly to allow alternatives to ETA – once Switzerland’s dominant supplier of mechanical movements – to develop. According to the Swatch Group, the ban was entirely without merit, especially given the fact that ETA was no longer the biggest supplier of movements to the industry. That title now belongs to Sellita, which supplied a million movements in 2019, compared to half the number for ETA. Now COMCO has formalised the year-long ban in an announcement that puts in place a “temporary suspension of the supply of [ETA] mechanical movements to customers”. The ban will be in force until COMCO makes its final decision by the summer of 2020. The ban, however, allows ETA to sell its movements to existing clients that are small- and medium-sized watch brands, defined as having less than 250 employees, which will probably be of little consolation to ETA. According to a Swatch Group spokesman quoted by Reuters, the majority of ETA’s movement sales are to companies with more than 250 employees, and as a result, ETA foresees it won’t be able to sell any movements next year. According to the statement, the ban is foun...
SJX Watches
According to Swiss newspaper Schweiz am Wochenende (via Reuters), Switzerland’s Competition Commission, a federal body that oversees competition and antitrust matters, is considering an outright ban of movements sales by ETA to third parties, in other words brands outside of the Swatch Group, starting January 2020. Also known as COMCO, or its German acronym WEKO, the agency is expected to deliver a verdict on December 19 . No explicit reason was cited for the potential ban, but it was implied that a recent COMCO report on the industry structure of the movement business is the reason. It is possible that COMCO believes the number of alternatives to ETA is sufficient that the watch industry would be better served over the long term by forcing watch brands to switch away from ETA. COMCO has long tussled with Switzerland’s biggest movement maker, in a dispute that began 17 years ago, when ETA announced it would gradually halt sales of ebauches, or movement blanks, to brands not owned by its parent company, Swatch Group. Because ETA was, and still is, Switzerland’s largest movement, reputedly producing some five million movements a year, its decision was regarded by COMCO as anticompetitive. And the wider Swatch Group – which is the country’s largest watchmaking conglomerate – produces perhaps a third of the components needed for watch movements in the entire industry. In the subsequent years ETA and COMCO reached various agreements over movement supply, with the l...
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Quill & Pad
The Swiss press is reporting that the tug of war between Swatch Group and Comco is now back on the table – and could result in dire consequences for the entire industry as soon as 2020, when ETA may stop delivering movements to outside brands. Get the story here.
Revolution
A young team headed by a 24-year-old movement specialist pulled off a technological coup that resulted in the robust, low-cost, ubiquitous Valjoux/ETA 7750.
Time+Tide
Fifty years ago, the automatic chronograph was born. Depending on which press release, it was the effort of either Zenith, Heuer (et al) or Seiko. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, and the former two brands have been busy celebrating in the traditional Swiss way (limited editions and, presumably, cheese). Seiko, though, has been … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: Why Seiko won’t be producing a 50th anniversary chronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: Nigh on a year ago, Sandra delved into the mercurial, and occasionally murky, world of investing in vintage watches. But rather than start at the already stratospheric Rolex/Patek et al. price point, she decided to focus on something a little more achievable. And while prices on some of the below suggestions have likely already … ContinuedThe post EDITOR’S PICK: We ask the experts how to build a potentially valuable watch collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
the new H2 : HYDRO MECANICAL HOROLOGISTS WITH APRP (AUDEMARS PIGUET RENAUD ET PAPI) LEADED BY GIULIO PAPI Sneak preview for what’s coming for the 2013 BaselWorld. A word from one of our sponsors HYT. Also, click on the HYT panel on the left and visit their website.
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Fratello
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you celebrated in style last night! As you may know, every year, we recap all the Seiko and Grand Seiko releases we covered here on Fratello. Last week, we published an overview of all the 2024 Seiko releases we wrote about. This time, we’ll focus on the Grand Seiko […] Visit A Condensed Guide To Grand Seiko Releases From 2024 to read the full article.
Fratello
At the end of every year, we like to reflect on all the watch goodness we have seen. In good tradition, Seiko has graced us with a consistent stream of new releases. So, as we do every year, it is time to look back at the Seiko releases from the past 12 months. This article […] Visit A Condensed Guide To Seiko Releases From 2024 to read the full article.
Fratello
I think it’s safe to say we don’t expect any more Omega Speedmaster models this year. Just last week, Omega introduced the Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified after teasing us with a similar model for US military pilots only. But this year’s releases had already started coming in January when Omega introduced the newly updated Speedmaster […] Visit All The Omega Speedmaster Models From 2024 In One Overview to read the full article.
Revolution
Monochrome
Omega won the coveted contract to time the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932, the first Olympic event to introduce the three-level winner’s podium, awarding athletes with gold, silver and bronze medals. Marking its 31st time at the rodeo this year as the Official Timekeeper of the Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games, Omega is in charge […]
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Deployant
The OMEGA Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Edition is a the brand's latest creation to celebrate the 2024 Olympic Games. Crafted with a nod to the Olympic medals, this watch features a 39mm case made from OMEGA's exclusive Bronze Gold, an alloy that includes gold, palladium, and silver, offering a unique hue that pays homage to the event's awards.
Fratello
If you’re the winning type that just can’t get enough of it, why not strive to bag all the medals you can win? “Impossible,” you say? Maybe, but you can get the new 39mm Omega Specialities Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Edition, a watch that combines gold, silver, and bronze. This vintage-style timepiece pays tribute to […] Visit Just In Time For The Summer Olympics: The Omega Specialities Paris 2024 Bronze Gold Edition (BG859) to read the full article.
Monochrome
This coming Friday, on July 26th, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will ignite a summer of sporting action in the heart of the French capital. For the 31st time since 1932, Omega will once again fulfil the role of Official Timekeeper, also extending to the Paralympic Games, where the brand has been Official Timekeeper since […]
Monochrome
The 2024 Paris Olympics, which will start later this week, mark 92 years of Omega‘s legacy as the official timekeeper for the Games. Since 1932 and for the 31st time, the Omega Timing team, with its unparalleled expertise, extensive personnel, and tons of equipment, will support the competing athletes. To truly grasp the extent of […]
Fratello
One fantastic aspect of living in London is that big events happen here. Museums, auction houses, and boutiques put on amazing displays for locals and visitors. Best of all, most of these shows are free and take place in lovely locations. Roughly three weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Patek Philippe Rare […] Visit Photo Report: The Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2024 London Exhibition to read the full article.
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